Judge Orders Britney To Turn Over Kids
A judge on Monday ordered Britney Spears to turn over custody of her two children to ex-husband Kevin Federline this week.
Superior Court Judge Scott M. Gordon ruled that Federline will take custody of Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, beginning Wednesday "until further order of the court."
The order stemmed from an unspecified oral motion made by Federline's attorneys and was handled in a closed-door hearing. The judge's order did not state the reason for the change in custody and he ordered all transcripts of the proceedings sealed.
Last month, Gordon said Spears engaged in "habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol" and ordered her to undergo random drug and alcohol testing twice a week as part of her ongoing custody dispute with Federline.
Photos: Britney Spears
The ruling was thought to be based at least in part on the testimony of Tony Barretto, Spears' body guard for two months following her stint in rehab.
In broadcast interviews, Barretto said he came to the conclusion that Spears had a substance abuse problem after finding her in several precarious situations while in her employ.
Timeline: Britney's Meltdown
For example, he said, three, four or five weeks into his job protecting the singer, she was supposed to do a concert in Anaheim, Calif., but was nowhere to be found. He said he found her in a hotel room littered with food, clothes, alcohol, a white powdery substance and a pipe. There was a male in the room who appeared to be asleep.
"We knew we had to get her out of there as soon as possible," he said. "She appeared to be under the influence, she was kind of incoherent, she was looking for her cell phone ... she was biting her nails, her pupils were dilated, didn't conversate well, sweating, acting nervously."Timeline: Britney's Meltdown
Barretto said he eventually convinced Spears to come with him. She walked out on her own power but said she felt sick. They got in a car but while they were driving down Sunset Blvd., Spears demanded that they stop in traffic and get on her tour bus.
"You do what she does, basically, what she wants to do," he said.
Barretto said he saw Spears use drugs twice, both times at a Hollywood night club. On one occasion, she was sitting at a table toward the back corner and asked Barretto to hold a curtain to cover her private area.
"I did so for a length of time, it was getting kind of difficult after a while holding up that big heavy curtain," he said, "and I turned to her over my shoulder to see if it would be OK to let go of the curtain and that's when I noticed that she was doing this."
Barretto said he was speaking out because he fears for the safety of her two young sons, not to get back at his former boss. He said Spears fired him because he didn't hear her tell him to pick up her hat, even though she knew he is hard of hearing.
Spears also was previously ordered to meet weekly with a "parenting coach" who was to observe and report back to the court about her parenting skills. Both Spears and Federline must complete the court's "Parenting Without Conflict" class.
Photos: Britney Spears
Spears, 25, and Federline, 29, were wed in October 2004. She filed for divorce last November and it became official in July. The two have joint custody of their sons, but Federline is seeking a greater share of custody.
Since Spears became single, her troubles have played out in the tabloids. First she was photographed at various Hollywood hotspots partying with Paris Hilton. Some photos captured the pop star without panties. Then Spears shaved her head, beat a car with an umbrella and ended up spending a month in rehab.
An MTV Video Music Awards performance last month meant to herald her comeback was universally panned. The following week, Spears' management firm dropped her and her divorce lawyer resigned.
She then was charged with misdemeanor counts of hit-and-run and driving without a valid license for allegedly crashing into a parked car in August.
Spears' new album will be released Nov. 13.